Centrifugal machine



2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

G. N. DOWNS. CBNTRIPNGAL MACHINE.

lwve/wm 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

G. N. DOWNS.

GENTRIFUGAL MACHINE.

No. 397,051.. Patented Jan. 29, 1889.

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v UNTTED STATES PATENT Ormes.

GEORGE N. DOXVNS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,051, dated January 29, 1889.

Application tiled January 14, 1888. Serial No. 260,688. (No model.)

To all 107mm 'it 71mg/ con/cern:

Be it known that l, Grenen N. Downs, of Chicago, in the county of Cool: and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Machines; and ,f l do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exactdescriptionthereof, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, and i to the letters of reference marked thereon, which Aform a part of this speeilication.

This invention relates to improvements in separators or devices for extracting 'iuid from solid substances by centrifugal action. l

rilhe invention, which consists in the novel devices and combination of devices herein shown, described, and claimed, is illustrated as embodied in a machine designed more pari ticularly for use in laundries for the purpose of extracting water from clothes or other articles preparatory to final drying, and will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichlligure l is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same. Fig. f3 is ahorizontal section taken on line ii i3 otLFig. 9. Figs. i, 5, and l5 are sectional. views illustratingI modified. forms of the movable shaftlgiearing. l

In said drawings, A is an outer tank or chamber supported upon the standards A', which standards are secured to a bed-plate, A?, and are connected at thei rupper ends by arms or bars A. Within the outer chamber or tank is a perforated revolving cylinder or receptacle, B, in which are placed the clothes or other articles from which liquid is to be extracted. This cylinder I3 is rigidly secured to a vertically-arranged shaft, C, which shaft is provided near its lower end with a belt-pulley, t), by means of which motion is communicated to it. The lower end ot' the shaft (i is movais shown in lfig. 2, the pa rts oll which are constructed in detail as follows: 'lhe inni-plate A2 is provided with a step or raiser'i bearing, a, having a socket or recess correspon ding in shape with the exterior surface of the ball or spherical enlargement c at the end of the shaft C, and within which the latter may freely revolve. This bearing ey is divided horizontally in two parts, as shown,to permit of the insertion of the ball c, the upper part consisting of a cap, a', which may be secured to the lower portion by screw-threads, as herein shown, or otherwise. This construction permits of the rotary motion of the shaft C, an d also permits inclination of the shaft from its vertical position. The ball c and adjacent reduced part of the shaft will be made separate from the main part of the shaft and attached thereto by a screw-joint or otherwise, to permit of the placing of the cap a over the bali in assembling the parts.

As shown in Figs. l and 2, the upper end of the shaft O is secured by a ball-and-socket joint to a second or auxiliary non-rotating shaft, O', the shaft C having a spherical enlargement or ball, c', at its lower end, the eX- terior surface of which fits into a corresponding recess in the two-part bearing c2 c3, secured to the shaft O.

The auxiliary shaft O is secured movably to the frame arms or bars A3 bythe following devices: The arms AS are united to a hollow hub or ring, A4, located centrally over the shaft O. Iithin said ring AY1 is mounted, by means of horizontal pivots d d, a separate horizontal ring, D, Fig. lVithin said ring D is secured, by means of other horizontal pivots, d d', a tubular bearing, E, within which the shaft Cis mounted to slide longitudinally. The pivots cl d', connecting the ring D and bearing E, are arranged at right angles to the pivots d d, by means of which the said ring D is supported upon the frame, so that the said ring D and its pivotal connections form a universal joint or connection between the shaft C and the frame adapt-ed to permit a free lateral movement of the lower end of the shaft in every direction. The said shaft C', while constructed to slide freely in the tubular bearing E, is held from rotation therein by any well-known or suitable deviee .for this purpose. Asherein illustrat-ed, the shaft O is provided with a longitudinal groove, c4, which is engaged by a pin or lug, e, upon the said bearing E. Between said bearing E and a nut, c, upon the upper end of the shaft C is placed a coiled spring, F, which tends to move the shaft C endwise through the bearing and to hold the shafts O and C in alignment with each other. Said bearing E is in the particular form of ma- IOO above the slnrulder.

1o the parts and to give a neat finish to the parts.

In practice, when the clothes or other articles are placed in the perforated chamber ll, they are not always evenly distributed therein, and inasmuch as the cylinder and connected parts tend always to turn about a line or axis of rotation passing through the center ol' gravity of the parts such axis of rotation is not always coincident with the axis ol` the sha ft when the latter is vertical.

',lhe tension of thespringl",arranged in the manner set'. forth, tends to keep the shafts (l in a vertical position and in aligmnent with each other, while an inclination of the shaft from the vertical is permitted by the ball-and-socket (amnection and by the uni versal joint, which afford a llexil'lle connection between the upper end of the shaft (j and the machine-frame, the shaft (l being 'drawn downwardly against'y the action of the 3o spring F when the upper end of the shaft (l is moved laterally.

The tension of the spring l? may be increased by screwing the nut ci farther down the shaft, enabling the lateral movement of the shaft to be limited or restrained, as desired.

lor actuating the shaft or receptacle, I have herein shown as located at eitlniuf side of one of the standards near its lower end .1.o pulleys (l (il, and near the upper end of this staniflard a pulley, ('l". Around these pulleys (-l (nl (l and 'the pulley t) on the shaft (l is placed an endless band orbelt. (Not shown in the drawings.) llpon the same shaft, g, that carries the pulley ('l, I mount the shift and drive plillcys ll. ll". A belt passing from the drive-wheel of the motive power to these pnl.- lcys Il Il furnishes the power to run the machine.

In centrifugal extractor-s of thehind herein shown the rapidly `vo'lvingloaded recca'itacle tends, when the rely ,ptacle is unevenly loaded, to turn about an axial .line passingthrough its own center of gravity instead of about the axis of the supporting' vertical shaft, and in the case of extractors Aused'for drying clothes the departure of the supporting-shaft from the vertical may be considerable. In centrif ngal extractors as heretofore made the shaft to has been sustained iin a vertical position by miauw. of a plurality of springs acting laterall); a; r'iinst it, said springs yielding to allow 'the shaft to assume an inclined position. i' ir applied in this manner have been t objectionable, not only on account of the complicated construction in and increased cost ol' the machine ilccasioncd by their use,

but for the reason that such sin-ings can seldom be adjusted to act'. with exactly the same pressure in all directions upon the shaft, so that the shaft is liable to yield more easily in one direction than another with obvious disadvantages in the operation ofthe mach ine. I have found that to produce the best results in operation the motion ofthe shaft should be opposed bylittle resistance when the receptacle and its load is seeking' its own center of rotation, and that the departure of the shaft from its normal position should be restrained by grcater and graduz'illy increasing force when said shaft assumes a (mnsiderablc inclination. In theuseoi' a pluralityof laterally-acting springsmsuch as have been heretofore employed-the springs commonly oppose too great a resistance to the departure of the shaft from the vertical,so thatthe load is prevented fromV l'rtaflyseclcing its own ccn ter of rotation, and the smooth running of the machine is thereby to a greater or less extent impaired.

In a machine crmstrncted in accordance with 'my invention the shaft is held vertical by a spring or yiehfling pressure acting Vin a direction endwise of the shaft and tending to pull it into a vertical position. In a construetion of this kind an inconsiderable resistance is atfordeifl to a slight departure of the shaft from the vertical, and the resistance is grad 'ually increased as the shaft assumes a considerable inclination, the tension ot' the spring exertingl itself in a dirtaition which becomes more and more nearly transverse to the shaft as the latter swings outwardly from its normal position. lhe novel construction herein illustrated, vfurthefrmore, not only has the ad vantage over prior devices in its operation, as above des .riln\d,l nit it also has the advantage of great simplicity of construction, rendering the machine much cheaper to build and more easily kept in order.

The machine shown in l `igs. l. and illustrates only one embodiment of 'my invention and the main features thereof, and my invention may be carried out in a number of ways other than the one illustrated in said figures-- as, for i nstance, the main parts of the machine maybe i n verted, in which case the stationary bearing will be placed at the upper end and the movable or yielding bearing at the lower end of the main shaft.

The form of shaftdwaring illustrated and above described I deem the cheaqjiest, most simple, and. desirable form, although there are many other forms embraced within. the scope of my invention which I also deem praetical, simple, and cheap. lwo of these forms I have illustrated in Figs. -l and 5. In both of these latter forms the bars Ai of the frame e' ...hemachine are attached to a tubular bearing, ci", in which the shaft C is mounted, and. in each the ball-and-soclcet joint is used to unite the two shafts C and C. In the inediti cation illustrated in Fig. t the shaft C is made in two partis, (32 and (lil, connected be- IOO TIO

low the b earing a by a familiar form of universal joint, Ct, the upper part, l2, of the shaft being' mounted to slide through the bearing' c, and being' provided with a nut or cap, c2. A spring', l1", surrounds the shaft, as before, and tends to keep the shafts in their vertical position by pressing upwardly against the nut c2. In Fig. 5 the shaft C is also made in two parts, the upper part, C5, being secured rigidly in the bearing cui by a set-screw or other fastening' device, whilel the lower part, (it, is connected with the shaft (l by means of a bal Land-socket joint. shaft C are rigidly secured to the ends of a very stiff spiral spring', l, which latter forms, with the two portions Ci and C of the shaft (l, a flexible shaft having one end rigidly secured to the bearin a3 and the other end movably secured by the ball-and-soeket joint to the shaft (l. ln this latter construetioi'l the spring' l takes the place of the universal joints or connection and the spring' shown in Figs. l, 2, and #1, and forms both a yielding' and flexible connection between the bearing at the upper end of the shaft (l and the machineframe.

As illustrated in Fig'. (3, the shaft C is made in two parts, CT C, connected with each other by a universal joint, C". In this instance the upper part, (li, of the shaft is constructed to slide in a sleeve or tubular bearing, E', having iiexible connection with the machineiframe by means of an intermediate ring, D', in the same manner as before described in connection with the shaft C. (Illustrated in Fig. l.) A coiled spring', F2, located between the sleeve E and the head c3 upon the upper end of the shaft (1i, serves to thrust the shaft upwardly. The lower section, G3, of the nonrotation shaft (1 is in this instance connected with the shaft (l by a bearing' and adapted to hold the shafts CT and (Isin alignment with each other. Said connection or bearing' is herein shown as formed by means of a cylindrical head, c", attached to the upper end of the shaft (l, which head is vfittedin a cup-shaped bearing, ff, upon the lower end of the shaft (1, the head c" being' held in engagement wi th the bearing' by means of a cap, e, secured to the said bearing c, in the manner clearly illustrated in the drawing's.

The construction shown in Fig. Gobviously affords a means of holding the shaft C yielding'ly in its vertical position in the same manner as do the devices shown in the other iig'- ures of the drawings.

I claim as my inventionl. The cmnbination, with a perforated receptacle, of a rotating shaft supporting' the sanne, said shaft being' mounted at one end in a bearing' which permits inclination of the shaft and which allows rotary but not longitudinal movement of the shaft, a movable bearing' engaging the other end of the shaft and constructed to permit rotary but not longitudinal movement of the shaft, said bearing last mentioned being movable both later- The two parts of the .machine-frame, and a spring' applied tothe said movable bearing and acting to move the said bearing' in a direction away from the other bearing' of the shaft, substantially as described.

f3. The combination of a perforated receptacle and rotating' shaft sustaining' the same, said shaft being' mounted at one end in a bearing which permits inclination of the shaft, with a second non-rotating' shaft having ilexible and long'itudinally-movable yconnection with the machine-frame, said non-rotating' shaft bein g in bearing with the other end of the rotating shaft, anda spring' applied -to the said non-rotating' shaft and acting' to move said non-rotating shaft endwise in a direction away from the opposite bearing' of the rotating' shaft, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a perforated receptacle with a rotating shaft sustaining the receptacle, said shaft being' mounted at one end in a bearing which permits inclination of the shaft, and a non-rotating shaft united with the opposite end of the rotating shaft by a ball-and-socket joint or its equivalent, said non-rotating shaft having' flexible and yielding connection with the frame of the machine, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a perfm'ated receptacle and a rotating shaft sustaining' the receptacle, said shaft bein mounted at one end in a bearing' which permits inclination of the shaft, with a second non-rotating' shaft connected with the other end of the rotating' shaft by a ball-aiu'l-socket joint or its equivalent, said lum-rotating' shaft having' both sliding' and Aflexible connection with the machineframe, and a spring' applied between the nonrotating shaft and the frame and acting to hold said rotatii'lg' and non-rotating shafts in alignment with each other, sulllstantially as described.

C. The combination of a perforated receptacle and a rotating' shaf t sustaining' the receptacle, said shaft being' mounted at one end in a bearing' which permits inclination of the shaft, with a second non-rotating shaft connected with the other end of the rotating' shaft by a ball-alul-socket joint or its equivalent, a bearing' :forsaid non-rotating' shaft connected with the frame of the machine by a universal joint, and a spring'applied between the said bearing and the non-rotating' shaft for moving the latter endwise, substantially as described.

IOO

llO

1. lhe combination of a perforated receptacle, and a shaft sustaining the receptacle, with a Soeond non-rotating' shaft, a tubular 'hearing` l'oi' the no1irotai'i11g' Shaftfonneei'ed with the 'll'mne hy annivol'Sal joint, said heal'- 3 j mounted on the said shaft near the xed bearing, whereby the said receptacle and shaft ing; boing provided with an interior Shoulder :lt its lower end, and a spi-i ng' su i'i'ounding the shaft within the 1V nhulm' homing', said spi-ing bein.;i held in place hy a nui. upon the ehaf'., sllhstantall-v as desorihm'l,

'lho vom])ination o1 an outer Casing o1l ian'h, n perforated l'ooeptaole within Said tank, and n rotating Shaft Sustaining the recepta- 01o, said shaft heine4 im'nlni'od at one end in a fixed hearing' whioh pei-mitsinclination of the shaft, with a latem]ly-nmvable bearing engag-ing the other end of the shaft above the receptacle and having movable connection with the maehinefranie, a spring applied to move Said bearing in a direction away from the opposite shaft-bearing, and a pulley may be rotated, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 1n y invention I afiix my signature in presence of two witnessee.

GEORGE N. DOVNS.

Tit-Messes:

("f. CLARENCE POOLE, O. N. WILLIS. 

